Duty Calls
by mhd123
Summary: Jack has a tough choice to make. Or is it that tough for him?
1. Chapter 1

Liz was checking in with Jack one last time before she quit for the night.

"Anything else before I..."

She stopped as she saw him clutching a glass of scotch, transfixed by his television.

"What's going on?"

"There's a rumor coming out of North Korea that Avery is pregnant with Kim Jong Un's child." His eyes remained focused on MSNBC.

Liz's frowned, and moved a little closer. "I'm sorry."

"I always figured that once we got a competent administration in office, we could get her back," Jack opined, "but I guess now she's gone. She's going to be first lady of North Korea, have a new family there."

Liz patted Jack's back in sympathy as he continued.

"It's Liddy that's really going to suffer. Sherry is the only female role model left in her life, and she'll only be with her until she starts school."

"Well, at least she'll have a great dad!" Liz smiled hopefully.

"Thanks Lemon. That's nice of you to say. Wanna get drunk?"

Liz didn't really want to, but thought it might be a good idea to stay with him when he was in this kind of mood. He was usually a happy drunk, but when the marriage to Bianca had ended he'd gotten pretty self-destructive. And in any case, there wasn't really anyone she was worried about drunk dialing.

"Sure."

-X-X-X-

Two days later, they were in his office haggling over costume budgets when Jack changed the subject.

"Lemon, I'd like it if you joined me at my home for dinner on Sunday."

She shrugged. "OK." Liz trotted out her breathy, fake-sexual voice. "Should I wear something... seductive?"

"I was hoping for 'matronly', which I thought you could handle." He inspected her, head to toe, for a moment. "In fact, what you're wearing now will do."

"What's the occasion?"

"I was thinking about our conversation about a female in Liddy's life. I am going to be an old dad, and after I'm gone you might be the best option I have."

"What, you don't think you'll remarry?"

"I'm self-aware enough to know my relationships have a way of... self-destructing. I might marry again someday, but I don't think Liddy can count on that woman. I need someone I trust, someone who will be there. And you've always been there for me."

Liz was obviously touched. "Are you sure, Jack? It's a big responsibility, and this morning I fixed my bra with some gum I found in my hair."

Jack closed his eyes for a moment, trying to absorb the horror. "Don't make me regret this, Lemon. I don't need you to be her mother. Just come over to my place on Sherry's night off and be around her. Please."

Liz smiled. "I'd love to."

-X-X-X-

It turned out to be an enjoyable evening for everyone. Liddy loved the extra attention, Liz loved being around a baby, and Jack appreciated the help when Sherry was off. These Sunday night dinners quickly became the social highlight of Liz's week, which was something she preferred not to think too much about.

About one month into the arrangement, Liz slipped out of Liddy's room.

"How'd you get her to sleep?"

"I told her the entire plot of _The Phantom Menace_."

"I thought you said the new ones were boring."

Liz pointed at him. "Exactly!"

As Liz sat down next to him on the couch, Jack pulled out the video baby monitor and regarded his daughter, snoring peacefully in her crib.

Liz put her head over his shoulder to peek at the image on the screen. "That girl is so adorable."

"Yes, thank you."

"And smart too. She'll be talking soon."

"She already has few dozen words. I'm working on getting her to pronounce 'deregulate' correctly."

Liz chuckled, then turned to look at Jack. To her surprise, he was looking at her, and their faces were inches away from each other. Liz's smile dropped, her mouth slightly open, and she stared at his lips for a moment, then his eyes, as they both held position. Jack's lips curled upwards ever so slightly as she suddenly felt unable to exhale.

Liz snapped out of it and sat up straight. "Well, you want to pick from the DVDs that I brought?"

-X-X-X-

Sometimes people assumed Jack saw Liz all the time outside of work, but that actually wasn't the case. They both spent so much time at the office, and time together at the office, that going out after work seemed superfluous. But now, Jack found he was really enjoying this regular dose of the non-work side of Liz. Usually, his exposure to her personal life involved her personal problems, but it turned out that she could actually go for long stretches with no chaos at all.

He thought about this as she was slumped over him, asleep on the couch. The movie had been the old indie comedy film "Clerks," a first for Jack but one that Liz had apparently seen too many times. Although perhaps she'd just had too tiring of a day.

Not wanting to disturb her, he pulled up a blanket on the both of them and slept where he sat.

They stayed that way until the morning, when Sherry returned and gave them a suspicious look. Liz gathered her things and somewhat awkwardly said goodbye, as she headed home to change for work.

-X-X-X-

Liz found herself thinking a lot about that uncomfortable moment over the ensuing week. There had always been a hundred reasons not to consider Jack as a romantic partner. First and foremost, he was her boss, and boffing the boss was an icky and un-feminist thing to do, wasn't it? Moreover, she was pretty sure they were sexually incompatible. How could they not be, even if she did somehow meet his impossible standards of beauty (which he'd made clear she didn't)? And of course, Jack could be tremendously irritating, even mean, at times.

On the other hand, Liz had resolved to be open to new things. The past year, constituting Jack's marriage-and-kids phase, had made her realize that their friendship, another great reason to not do anything, could not stay in stasis forever. Jack was always a little more distant when he was seeing someone, which he surely would do again. Indeed, Avery had probably had it in her power to break them up, decisively, and it was only going through a charade of minimization that they'd preserved their routine. And someday, TGS would end: it was a miracle it'd lasted that as long as it had. Heck, Jack could finally realize his dream of running the company, which would mean a move to Philadelphia.

Liz also had long dismissed Jack for not being Astronaut Mike Dexter. He wasn't really into all the things that she'd always had on her checklist. On the other hand, Carol had checked all those boxes, and it hadn't turned out too well. Maybe she needed someone a little different, that cared for her, but pushed her to improve herself, expose her to new things, and seize happiness. Maybe the key to finding someone who would like her when she was old was to find someone who never, apparently, had liked her for her looks to begin with.

Sometime in that week, Liz resolved to be open. Not to do anything, exactly, except to be available and go with the moment if it came.

The next Sunday was like many of the others. Dinner, playing with Liddy, bedtime, and a movie, cozy and comfortable. Jack was being extra nice, so when she left that evening, she gave him a warm, tight hug. Because it felt right in the moment. Jack didn't seem freaked out by it. So that was good.

-X-X-X-

The next Sunday, Liz was tired, and had a contractor coming to her apartment early Monday morning. After Liddy was asleep, she tried to excuse herself.

"What's the movie you brought for us tonight?" Jack asked.

"Actually, Jack, I have to wake up early in the morning, so I think I'll head home."

Jack seemed disappointed. "Oh. OK."

"Thanks for dinner, though. You really know the way to a woman's heart." Liz hoped that came off as a joke, although there was more truth to it than she would like to admit.

Liz gave him a hug again, her head against his chest and face turned outwards. She closed her eyes and allowed herself a smile. The hug lingered a bit longer than last time, as neither wanted to part. Liddy was great, but the one-on-one time after she was asleep had become a highlight of both their weeks.

She felt a light kiss on the top of her head. Looking up to thank him with a smile, she found his face once again inches away. She felt her heart beat faster and an unfamiliar, tingly feeling overtake her.

Thinking back, it would always be unclear to Liz who kissed whom. She was just sure that it felt right in the moment, and evidently Jack thought so too. It started tentatively, but their mutual feedback caused it to get a little more serious, more intimate.

When Jack was on his game, he always knew just what to say. And this time, he didn't disappoint.

"Stay."

Liz hoped her expression wasn't too needy. Unlike Jack, she didn't know exactly what to say.

So she just said, "Yeah."

-X-X-X-

Lying in bed on a bright and glorious Saturday morning, Liz Lemon silently chastised herself for waiting so long.

What was this feeling that she was having? Was she giddy? Her assumption that the two of them would be sexually incompatible had been proven spectacularly wrong. Six consecutive nights had proved that. She hadn't sought to have sex with him every day; it certainly wasn't something she'd even thought she'd be capable of enduring, much less enjoying or, God forbid, initiating. But the conclusion of each workday never felt like the time to say goodbye, and both of them seemed to be answering a hunger that had gone unfilled for too long.

Maybe it was the hormones of a 41-year old woman, or the lack of Tom Jones reminders, or maybe it was there all along. And Jack was teaching her things, for sure, although she didn't like to think about how he had learned them.

Liz was well familiar with Jack's traditional attitude to relationships, one of aggression and warfare. She had braced herself for fights picked and battles lost, but none of that had materialized. Liz had unintentionally brought out a good Jack, a nicer, more protective one.

But it was early. No reason to get too excited, although she couldn't help herself. She ached to tell Jenna, to share her joy. But if she told Jenna it'd be all over the office, and that would not be OK. In fact, Liz was keeping it out of the office altogether. There were no public or private displays of affection at work. It was too inappropriate, too risky, and kind of gross. The last thing she needed was to go into his office to talk about budgets and think about something that they'd done on his desk.

Maybe, she thought, Jack always had honeymoon periods like this before things came apart. She wasn't so sure on the exact timelines with him. And she wasn't so sure what Jack was feeling; he was enjoying their fooling around; of that, she was sure. But as for any additional feelings, Liz couldn't tell and was mortified to ask.

Was it too early to say she was in love? In terms of how long they'd been really dating, of course; but she'd known this man for almost six years, and shared her most intimate secrets with him. They'd both made sacrifices for each other, and they both understood (Didn't they? It hadn't ever been said, except by Wienerslav) that this was the most significant relationship of their lives to date. But it would be stupid to get ahead of herself, to assume that this was something more than it was. After all, Jack hadn't been with a woman at all since Avery left; perhaps he was grabbing the nearest available one.

But here she was, reveling in some post-coital bliss. Maybe she was over-thinking it. Jack had gotten up, presumably to make her breakfast, just as he'd done on Thursday. The guy most definitely knew how to push the right buttons. On this first opportunity to sleep in since they'd started sleeping together, she'd already jumped him once this morning. Much to her own surprise, when he came back into the bedroom she was going to do it again. Even if it meant sacrificing a warm breakfast. Maybe it was love.

Liz was surprised when Jack returned, not bearing food but wearing a suit, his phone on its way back into his pocket.

"Emergency at work?"

Jack shook his head, then paused for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "Not exactly. I have to, uh, fly to China this morning."

"China?"

Jack's tone was somewhat mysterious to Liz. She couldn't figure out if it was filled with happiness or regret. "Avery's escaped from North Korea, and she's marooned in some village in Manchuria. I've got to go over and speed up the negotiations."

Jack leaned over and pecked Liz on the lips. Internally, her mind started running at full speed. Was that kiss too chaste? Was it a "goodbye, see you later" or a "goodbye, we're done" kiss?

"Can you watch Liddy tomorrow, or should I get the backup nanny?"

"No, I can do it. I'd like to do it."

"Thanks. I should be back in a few days. Bye." He smiled, and left the room.

As the door shut, Liz sat up, holding the sheets over her chest. That conversation did not have the reassurance that she craved.

All of a sudden, all the reasons not to sleep with Jack came to the fore again. Of course he would rescue Avery. She was the mother of his child; he could hardly abandon her in Asia. But what were Jack's intentions here? Were he and Liz finished? Would that make things weird between them? Would work meetings be awkward? Did Liz really want to be in "competition" with Avery? Would it be selfish to break up Liddy's parents? Had Liz gotten to Jack enough in a week to even make it a possibility? And why did she have to have this glimpse of happiness, only to have it pulled so cruelly away?

Her internal monologue was going a mile a minute, and there was no one to talk to about this. Worse yet, it was Saturday, so there wasn't even any job to go to. Liz had nothing to do but get dressed, go home, and stew in it for the day.

Sherry, while holding Liddy, gave Liz the evil eye as she left. This was not going to be such a good weekend after all.

-X-X-X-

That Sunday, watching Liddy for Jack, was bittersweet. She was somewhat resistant to the idea that she'd fallen in love with Jack, but she was sure that she was in love with Liddy, and it pained Liz to think this might be her last opportunity to spend much time with her. Going for a walk with the baby through the city, the adoring glances from other women and their assumptions about who she was were daggers to Liz.

After an achingly wonderful day, she put Liddy to sleep. Feeling somewhat hesitant to sleep in Jack's bed, she ended up falling asleep on his couch, in front of the TV.

-X-X-X-

Liz didn't hear from Jack during his trip, but conveniently, it was all over the news. NBC was providing wall-to-wall coverage of the heroic escape of one of their own. There was Avery, standing in front of a bunch of cameras, Jack behind her and to her side, while she told the story of how she slipped out of a motorcade, swam across the Yalu River under fire, and emerged in China. There was already talk of movie rights.

And there was no pregnancy. The rumor was all part of Avery's elaborate escape plan.

The Chinese were being difficult, and the North Koreans were throwing a tantrum, so there was some resistance to letting her return home immediately. Secretary Clinton said she was "optimistic" that they could get things worked out.

It was a serious crisis - there were artillery shells being lobbed over the DMZ, people killed, refugees on the move - but Liz rewound the news to remain focused on the face in the background. Jack's expression was inscrutable. He was happy, sure; he'd be a monster if he weren't. But Liz was trying to read those eyes. Was there a trace of regret? Trepidation? Affection, but not romantic love anymore? Liz couldn't tell. She yearned for a reporter to ask Avery a personal question, but her hope was disappointed.

Liz wished Brian Williams would wipe that smirk off his stupid face.

-X-X-X-

Avery's return to America with Jack, a week later, was a media event. Her patriotic comments about returning to America made her a populist hit. There was talk about a future in politics, and a run on the talk show circuit. Avery Jessup-Donaghy was becoming a star. It was good thing Oprah didn't have a show anymore, because Liz wouldn't have been able to handle her appearing there.

The day after she returned, Jack came into the office a little later than usual. He was dressed in a sport coat, indicating it wasn't a normal day of business for him.

"Hey, Jack." Liz had thought he might come in today. She'd dressed up a bit, skipping the glasses, applying some makeup, and showing more cleavage than she had since her late 30s. She thought she might as well look good when she was about to get dumped. She unconsciously stuffed her hands in the rear pockets of her jeans, signaling her uncertainty and reserve.

"Lemon." Jack seemed guarded. He probably wasn't looking forward to this conversation either.

"Uh... congratulations on getting her home."

"Thank you."

"I'm surprised you came in to work today."

"Just a few things I had to take care of." Pause. "We're going to visit Avery's parents for a week."

Liz frowned a bit. "I see."

Jack stood up and exhaled. "I'm going to give Avery and me another shot."

Liz bit her lip, looked down, then back at Jack. "Of course."

"And needless to say, I'd appreciate your discretion about our little... affair."

"Well, it was fun while it lasted." Liz volunteered a mirthless chuckle.

"I'm sorry. And thank you."

Liz grimaced and nodded, her expression resigned. "Don't apologize. I'm happy for you two. And Liddy."

Jack paused for a beat. "Yes. It's good for Liddy."

Liz tapped Jack on the shoulder with her fist. "See you next week, buddy," she said with fake enthusiasm.

She returned to the writer's room, walking briskly.

Frank tried to get a word in. "Liz-so-are-we-going-with-the-Avery-sketch-or..."

Her office door slammed shut before he could finish. She gave no indication that she even heard him.

-X-X-X-

When Jack returned from his trip, Liz tried hard to avoid him, finding reasons to send Pete up to his office whenever there was actual business to discuss. Finally, Jack came down to find her.

"Is this where you've been hiding out?"

"My office? How'd you ever track me down?"

"I'm throwing a party here at NBC for Avery's return. The people from news are going to be there, and I'd like it if you came, too."

"Inviting 'the other woman' to the party, Jack? That seems kind of tacky."

"No, not 'the other woman'. My best friend. And actually, a pretty good friend to Avery, too."

"I really don't think that's the case."

"Please don't blame yourself. You've been nothing but wonderful to her."

The idea of seeing Avery again still mortified Liz, but she agreed to go. The party was, of course, on her soundstage. Didn't NBC have some other room for these kinds of events?

Liz put on her best poker face and went to the party. She decided to initiate a brief, obligatory conversation with Avery, and then bail.

"Welcome back."

Avery hugged her. "Thanks, Liz."

"Jack told me about what you did," Avery said matter-of-factly.

"What?"

"How you offered him emotional support while I was gone, and helped with Liddy. How he wouldn't have made it without you. Thank you so much."

"Don't mention it."

"You know, Liz, you're a good friend to Jack. And to me."

Liz felt sick. Guilty, mostly, but also faintly indignant that Avery regarded her as so thoroughly non-threatening that there was no jealousy whatsoever. But that was churlish: with the threat of actual war erupting over Avery, the media was comparing her to Helen of Troy, which couldn't be good for that ego of hers.

She struggled to find a joke to break the tension she was feeling, but came up empty.

"Thanks. That's nice."

It was then that Brian Williams arrived and interrupted to hug Avery and welcome her back. It was all the more reason to split, so Liz seized the opportunity to get out of there. There was nothing to do at home, so she grabbed some food and then returned to her office to get some work done.

-X-X-X-

Jack found her there a little after midnight. Tracy had found the party - he wasn't invited, but had a sixth sense about these things - and thanks to him, things were still going strong.

"Are you alright?" he asked with concern.

"Yeah." Liz lied.

"Then how come you never come to my office anymore?," he asked in an pleading voice.

"I've had a lot of work to do. I'm still catching up from when I was spending all that time at your place." It was a fairly transparent lie.

"I miss you."

Liz frowned. "I miss you too. I wish we had never..."

"Don't say it, Lemon."

"No, it's what I feel. I wish I had never come on to you. Then we wouldn't be in this whole mess."

"I enjoyed it." Jack offered.

"Of course you did. Nothing like a little fling with your buddy to help pass the time."

The realization struck Jack immediately: how Liz really perceived what had happened, and his carelessness in handling it. He regarded her with a furrowed brow for what seemed like an hour as Liz pretended to concentrate on her work.

"I want you to come up to my office." It didn't sound like a request.

"Why..."

"I want to show you something. Right now." He offered his hand, but she got up without his help.

The elevator ride was quiet and awkward. Liz stared at the door, the ceiling, her shoes, anything to avoid the gaze that Jack was fixing on her out of the corner of his eyes. Finally, finally, it got to the 52nd floor.

As they entered his office, Jack went straight to his desk, and standing, rooted around in a drawer. Liz stood a few feet away, curious. Finally, he found what he was looking for, and slammed it with authority on his desk.

Liz couldn't believe her eyes. Was it... it couldn't be?

"What's that?"

"What does it look like?"

"But it couldn't be."

"Open it."

She touched the box gingerly, as if it were dirty. but managed to pry it open. And indeed, it was what it was appeared to be, a large, yet somehow understated, diamond ring. She remembered it from years ago, when she had helped him shop for Elisa's engagement ring. It was one Liz had especially liked, but not the one he purchased at the time. Apparently, though, it had not remained unpurchased.

"I don't understand. You weren't... you aren't..."

"I'm not, but I was going to."

"After a week?"

"That's one way of counting the time. I prefer to think of it as five years. But if you insist on calling it a week... it was the best week of my life."

"When?"

"The week we were dating." Jack was mildly annoyed that she wasn't following along.

"No, I mean.. when were you going to ask me?"

"I was waiting for the right moment; for an indication you felt the same way."

"Why are you telling me this?"

Jack stepped closer to her, and lowered his voice. "Because you should get it into your thick skull that you were _not _some... diversion for me."

They stared into each other's eyes. Liz's mind was a swirl of conflicting emotions, her heart beating through her chest. She didn't budge as Jack's finger lightly traced her jawline, delivering a jolt of electricity that she felt all over her body. She simply could not stop gazing into that deep blue, those eyes affixed on her, those eyes that had been unknowingly, tantalizingly close to being hers forever. All but for some sloppy North Korean guards...

Those eyes were now coming closer, as his lips sought hers. He paused, an inch away from her, eyes open, as a last holdout in him raised its objection. Liz's mind screamed to stop, to pull away, but her body simply stayed there, her lips opening slightly in anticipation.

Liz couldn't refuse him, not now, and their lips and tongues intertwined passionately. It was a desperate kiss, as both of them sensed time running out, life running out, the cruel reality of the world rushing in to interrupt them. He gripped her small head in his strong, large hands, her arms under his and running up his back. It all lingered, neither of them wanting to stop.

Finally, Liz lightly pushed on his shoulders to withdraw. "No."

She rested her forehead on his chin, looking down, and swallowed hard. A single tear slipped out of her right eye. "We can't".

"I know." Jack's voice was tinged with defeat, his eyes still closed. Her glasses fogged a bit from his breath.

Liz backed off a few feet, gathering herself to leave.

"I want you in my life, Lemon." Again, with the pleading voice. This new tone of his made Liz want to go somewhere and die.

"I'd like that, too."

"Can we do this?"

"I don't know. I'll try."

With that, she turned to leave. "See you around."

Jack weakly waved, concerned, as Liz turned to go into the Manhattan night. Of course she would be in his life; she could scarcely conceive of the alternative. It would just take some repression, and some time.

_END Ch 1 _


	2. Chapter 2

"Jack, we have to…," pant, "stop."

Jack chose to ignore what Lemon was saying. The other signals her body was sending had a different message,

No, they weren't going to stop. If she really wanted to, she could do so at any time.

-X-X-X-

They'd restrained themselves for almost two months. When Avery returned from North Korea and interrupted their budding affair, both shared the impulse to do the decent thing. Liz's rules about displays of affection at work helped, since when they saw each other they didn't have habits to fall back on; or rather, there were much older habits, platonic ones, that came to mind.

Yet the situation was unstable. The messy, but private, conclusion of that affair had made it clear to each of them what they'd shelved. They had felt - no, did feel, Jack corrected himself - something unlike either had experienced before, something raw and comprehensive. It was a force that couldn't be held back forever, but both pretended it could to preserve the routine that had gone before. And inevitably, the moment had come. Lemon contemplating something out his window, Jack coming up a little too close behind, the sudden turn and the uncomfortable distance between them. And finally, submission to their impulses, Liz pressed up against the wall and Jack pressed against her. All followed by a vow that it could never happen again.

That vow was becoming a habit itself. After a few weeks of messing around, Jack could now distinguish between Lemon visiting for an actual work purpose or for something else: something about her walk, her expression, told him how to prepare himself. Liz locking the door behind her was the most obvious signal. But they maintained the fiction that this was something spontaneous, as if somehow this absolved them of responsibility for what was happening.

Sex - no, _lovemaking_ - between them had previously been sensual, but lighthearted and relaxed. But with the mode shifted to furtive encounters in his office, the mood shifted to desperate, hurried, even experimental, as if each time might be their last opportunity. As they finished, and Liz collapsed onto his chest, panting, eyes contentingly closed.

She strongly exhaled. "I love you."

Lemon's eyes shot open in a mild panic. "I mean, I love _this_. THIS. Actually, just forget I said anything. We shouldn't love... this. This is wrong."

"I know." Jack left it softly, deliberately ambiguous as to what he was replying to.

As he got dressed, he took a chance. "Lemon, Avery's going to be out of town for the rest of the week. I'd like it if you joined me for dinner tomorrow night."

"Thursday?"

"I believe that comes after Wednesday."

She looked at him suspiciously. "Is this for business?"

"No." This was a big step, abandoning the pretense of accident. It was a conscious decision to have an affair.

Jack had just about rationalized this in his heart. His hero, Don Geiss, had had an entire secret family in Canada; weren't great men entitled to a little bit more than mere mortals? And no one had done anything wrong; Avery was gone and married to someone else when this had started. It would be unfair to Liz - and to him - to deny themselves something that felt so right. It was not a wandering eye finding a pretty young thing; it was a relationship with someone with purchase on his heart long before Avery, something that felt more truthful and honest to him than marriage to Avery ever had. And if this arrangement kept him sane, all the better for Liddy.

Liz frowned, bra now fastened and going for her shirt. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"You don't want to?"

"We just can't do stuff like that, Jack."

"But we can do _this_?"

"Well, no, but..."

"How about as friends, like the old days?"

"I think we both know what'll happen."

Jack nodded, disappointed. He wasn't going to win this fight, not now, with her libido satisfied and her mind in full guilt mode.

-X-X-X-

Sometimes Jack wished Liz would fight for him. Not physically, of course; but it was just too easy for him, with everything kept under wraps, to stick with the status quo. It was unfair to blame Liz, admittedly; he was the man, he had the power of decision, and he could hardly expect Lemon to swoop in and be a homewrecker; it was completely against her nature.

-X-X-X-

Thursday night came. Jack went home a little early to play with Liddy and let Sherry have a little more time to herself. Sherry was the only other person who knew what had happened with Avery gone, and she had displayed a fortunate reticence to inject herself into Jack's personal dramas. Jack was trying to come home early a little more often, to silently thank her for her discretion.

It was around 10:30 that he got a call from Lemon, asking him to come over with some thinly veiled excuse. His evening was looking up.

-X-X-X-

They were cuddling in her bed, her head on his shoulder and hand in his chest hair. It was nice to be able to relax and soak in the pleasure and the closeness again, rather than rushing to clean up. These moments were once filled with playful banter, but now the more conflicted situation covered it with a warm but brittle silence, as if saying too much would jeopardize everything.

Out of nowhere, he completed their old conversation. "I love you too, Lemon."

Liz didn't immediately react. He couldn't see her face, but after a few seconds or so he felt her face muscles tense a bit and heard a tiny sniffle. He resisted the urge to ask about it, and just held Liz a little tighter. He felt bad for Lemon; but more, he felt sorrow for himself. That there had always been time for this to happen, until there wasn't. That he'd had the opportunity for this, and through indecision left it until it was too late.

-X-X-X-

"Lemon, Avery has asked… _again_… if you'd like to come over for dinner on Saturday."

"Agh. Jack, can you make another excuse? Just say I'm busy."

"That excuse is wearing thin. She knows you don't have all that much to do besides work, and seeing as how I _am_ your boss, she holds _me_ responsible if you're too busy."

"I don't know. Say I'm seeing someone. It's even true, in a way."

-X-X-X-

"Your little idea didn't work out so well."

"Huh?"

"Now Avery's invited you and your new boyfriend over to dinner. We're going to have to find you one."

Liz looked defeated. "I really don't want to do this, Jack."

"One dinner, Liz. For me." Pause. "Do you need me to find someone to stand in?"

She sighed and frowned. "I know someone that would probably be up to play the role."

"Be warned. Avery's gaydar is very accurate."

"Good to know."

-X-X-X-

Jack found Liz's "date" vaguely familiar, but he couldn't place exactly from where. Gray was exceptionally handsome and exceptionally tall. As it turned out, he worked in news and was an acquaintance of Avery's. Jack didn't detect any hint that Gray was gay, fortunately. He started to wonder if Liz's excuse had more truth than he'd thought, that perhaps all the guilt and reluctance about their affair might not be just about him and Avery.

On the other hand, the displays of affection were pretty light: a couple of cheek kisses, a brush of their hands here and there. Either this wasn't a passionate relationship, things were being kept under wraps, or it really was all an act.

The backstory was that they'd met in the building and had been seeing each other for a couple of months. The two did have a certain familiarity, as if they'd known each other a long time, but to Jack they didn't seem all that close. In any event, Liz ended up focusing a lot of her attention on Liddy, who she hadn't seen in quite a while. She really was wonderful with Jack's daughter, he thought, and he recalled the time that he'd allowed himself to fantasize, briefly, about Lemon sliding into a maternal role for her. Liddy would have benefited from a little balance in the family, instead of two parents with identical outlooks on life.

-X-X-X-

"So what's with you and this Gray guy? He isn't gay, is he?"

"That's none of your business, Jack."

"None of my business? When has your love life not been my business?"

"Since forever, actually, though that never stopped you before. And now – look, I don't want to hear about you and Avery and your latest adventures. That kind of talk has to be off limits now."

"What about our.. what about us?"

"That was never OK, and it's definitely not OK now."

"I.. I'm not sure where that leaves us."

"Friends. Coworkers. Just like we've always been. Just with different boundaries."

-X-X-X-

That wasn't the biggest bombshell Liz would drop that week. After a couple of days' "vacation" in California, Liz came back and gave Jack her two weeks' notice. She'd sold a screenplay to Paramount, and after the final two episodes of TGS were put away, she was moving out to LA and Vancouver (where it was to be filmed) to oversee production.

"Why didn't you come to me? I could have had Universal produce it!"

Liz swallowed hard. "I wanted to do something on my own for once. It was time for the mentee to graduate."

"Is this about getting away from me?"

"It's not always about you." She said it gently, not with aggression.

-X-X-X-

After basically avoiding each other over the final two weeks, Jack bought her dinner at Plunder on her last night in New York. Liz had already said her goodbyes to Pete, Jenna, and the rest at work.

At first, they ate in uncomfortable silence, neither knowing what to say to conclude this chapter in their lives. Jack was, as usual, lubricating the evening extensively with alcohol, but Lemon was staying dry. An effort to keep her self-control, he wondered?

Jack decided to be the first one to be honest.

"Lemon, I… I wish you were staying. But for what it's worth… I'm proud of you. It sounds like you're getting your life together."

Lemon smiled, and looked at him adoringly, innocently, for what seemed like the first time in ages. "Thanks." She took his hand and squeezed it. There was something radiant about her appearance tonight. Jack decided it was because it was the first time he had ever seen Lemon carefree, the weight of TGS off of her and the troubles of her new life not yet visible.

"I couldn't have done it without you, Jack."

"Is Gray going out West with you?"

"Jack, Gray's my third cousin."

"I _thought_ he looked familiar."

"A long time ago, before I knew he was my cousin, I went on a couple of dates with him. You ran into us on the street."

And then it came back to Jack. Her simulated vomit on the telephone while he stood next to her, Jack's generous invitation for them to skip work, so that his subordinate could actually have a social life. It was only about a week after that that he took Lemon out on a date of their own, one of many, many missed opportunities over the years. The last one, only weeks old and blown just like all the rest.

He wanted to kiss her, right there, but this was a crowded restaurant, and circumstances – no, his choices – meant that those feelings were only to be expressed in dark corners, if at all.

Instead, they talked. They talked about everything and nothing, their futures and their pasts, just as they always had. Jack knew Lemon well enough to know she wasn't telling him something, something important. But he didn't know how to open the subject, so he let the conversation go the way Liz was taking it, which was a way filled with laughter and foot disorders and silly family problems.

After the thousand-dollar dessert, they walked out onto the street.

"Let me take you home."

"That's OK, Jack, I'll just take a cab. The hotel is the opposite direction, anyway." She was already hailing it as she spoke.

As she opened the door of the taxi to get in, Jack, sensing a chance slip away, grabbed her arm and kissed her, pressing her against the doorway of the cab. She submitted to the kiss, not pulling away and deciding to enjoy it for what it was worth.

He whispered, "You _do_ know... I'm _always_.."

She put her finger to his lips to shush him, smiled, then ran her hand down the side of his face. "Yeah. Me too."

"One more nightcap, for old times' sake?"

She looked at him affectionately, without a trace of judgment. "Good night, Jack."

And with that, she was gone, her cab disappearing into the canyon of Fifth Avenue as his own car pulled up. Maybe Lemon was doing this for the right reasons. Maybe if Jack really wanted the best for her, he would learn to let her go.

-X-X-X-

Jack ate his dinner with Avery in silence.

"What's bugging you, Jack?"

"What do you mean?"

"C'mon. You've been moping around for the past week. Not finishing your dinner, not talking. You seem lost."

Jack had a stricken look. "I don't know what you're talking about."

The truth, at least part of it, dawned on Avery. "You really miss her, don't you?" It wasn't in an accusatory tone. It had honestly never occurred to Avery that there might be funny business going on. It wasn't cockiness or confidence, really. She just knew. Incorrectly, as it turned out.

The gig was up. "I believe so, yes."

"Why don't we go out and visit her?"

"Lemon and I didn't part on the best of terms. I'm not sure we'd be welcome." He lied to cover for the fact that his friend didn't want to see him, or at least wanted to start her life anew without him.

Avery's response was interrupted by Liddy screaming and pointing at some food out of her reach. Jack smiled weakly as Avery attended to it. The subject didn't come up again.

-X-X-X-

It actually took quite a bit of effort for Jack to obtain a copy of Lemon's screenplay. When he finally got it, he saw that it was some of her best work: funny, smart, topical; a little too smart to be a blockbuster, but likely to find its niche and be successful if the clowns at Paramount could market it properly. It was ostensibly about gorilla researchers, but it had elements of current events and a simple, natural humor.

It was about a year after Liz left, with no real contact since, that Jack got a wedding invitation with a personal note attached. Lemon was getting married, to a Canadian clean-energy executive in Vancouver.

The short, handwritten note read:

"It's been too long. I hope you and the family can come. Love, Liz."

-X-X-X-

Vancouver was gorgeous in the summertime. With mild temperatures, water everywhere, and vast mountains seemingly on top of it, it was one of the truly spectacular cities in North America, if not the world. Even if it was filled with Canadians.

Liz and Brent – that was the guy's name, Brent Lillebridge – had Jack and his family over for lunch the day before the wedding. Brent and Liz shared a large, unfailingly modern condo in the center of the city, with breathtaking 360 degree views of the area.

And one piece of Jack's puzzle immediately became clearer, as Lemon answered the door holding an infant. Jack was not a man to be surprised easily, but he wasn't able to find words. Jack eventually found his tongue and the pleasantries began in earnest.

Once all had settled down, Jack gestured to the baby. "So this is a surprise."

"Yeah." Liz gave him a secret sorry-about-that glance. "His name is Mitch, after my brother."

-X-X-X-

It was about half an hour before he could corner Liz in private.

"So how old is Mitch?"

"3 months."

"Adoption?"

"No, I was pregnant."

"Brent?"

"No."

Jack did some mental math. "Oh my God. Is it.."

"No, Jack, it's not."

"So how…"

Liz looked at the floor, cutting him off. "It's not important. It's kind of embarrassing and I'd rather not talk about it." She looked up. "What's important is that he's here and I love him and Brent loves him and the filming's going great and.. I'm happy." She said the last part with a big, relieved smile. "Please be happy for me."

And with that uncertain monologue of hers, Jack knew, as plainly as if she'd said the opposite a moment ago. She was still a terrible liar, at least to him. She was happy, alright, but that was his son in the other room, at least biologically. It now all added up: her reluctance to drink that last evening together, the sudden departure from TGS now clearly an effort to avoid drama and wrecking his life as collateral damage.

He wondered if Brent knew, and why Lemon was lying to her friend now. Perhaps it was part of making a clean break, reducing the amount of drama and complication in her new relationship. It was time to let go.

A flicker of mutual comprehension passed between them, nonverbally. Jack smiled gently. "I am. Happy for you." He hugged her. "Congratulations."

_END_


	3. Chapter 3

Mitch Lillebridge loved New York City.

His mother had always talked wistfully about her former home. For all its inconveniences, its energy inspired her. Many of the best years of her life were spent there. Vancouver was one of the world's greatest cities to live in, but she often said she missed the hustle and the sense of opportunity that permeated every street corner in Manhattan.

There were also people she left behind, though she didn't talk about them much. Mitch knew that she had worked with the old movie star Tracy Jordan, although they weren't good friends. He'd been inspired to download a few of his old movies, and they were quality fare, at least for a teenage boy. Then there were other names like "Jenna," "Pete," and "Jack" that bounced around Mitch's head, but he wasn't really sure about the relationships between them all and who did what. He did know that Jenna was an actress, from the TGS videos his mom had, and because she was in one of his mom's movies. Mitch had attended Jenna's funeral as a toddler, but of course he didn't recall it.

Moving to Manhattan wasn't the only way he was emulating his mother. As a freshman in the NYU class of 2034, Mitch was going to study film, to become a filmmaker like his mom. His dad had exposed him to the business world; it was OK, but simply didn't match the excitement of the entertainment world. One nice thing about having wealthy parents was that you could afford to do something you loved, instead of whatever would put food on the table.

-X-X-X-

He'd only been in the city a few months when he saw her. He'd been at a club listening to a hot new band when he spotted her across a room. She was beautiful: a little preppy for this kind of venue, maybe, but there were... compensating attributes. Mitch had inherited his father's confidence and good looks (although he was wrong about whose confidence and looks they were), and didn't hesitate to approach her.

She was a junior at Columbia, and a very interesting girl. Some guys might have found her a bit bitchy, frankly, but Mitch was good with girls and could handle a little bit of attitude. Honestly, he found girls without a little sass kind of boring. Her parents lived in the city, her mother a famous news anchor.

He was quite taken with this girl, this Liddy Donaghy. There seemed to be some sort of connection between them, and they left the club to take a walk. The evening ended with a kiss; he was tempted to go for more, but this girl was special and he wanted to take it slow.

-X-X-X-

"So how are you settling in to New York, honey?"

"I'm pretty much set, mom. I'm moved in, and met some cool guys to hang out with."

"Good!"

"A lot of people told me there'd be a lot of neat girls in New York, too, and they were right." His mom was kind of prudish, as a mom should be; he liked to make her uncomfortable by talking about girls. His mischievious grin was met with a frown on the other end of the videophone.

"Are you already seeing someone?," Liz offered tentatively.

"No, but there's this one girl that I'm in to."

"I see. What's her name?" Mitch's mom seemed to more comfortable as the subtext veered from sex to dating.

"Liddy."

Liz's face dropped, her eyes widening. She gulped hard. Mitch wondered if some sort of glitch in the phone had made the name sound like a bad word.

"Liddy what?"

Mitch shrugged. "Uh... I'm not sure how you pronounce it, Dona-hee?" In 2030, people usually learned last names through mobile subdermal YouFace tags, which means they read them rather than heard them.

Liz closed her eyes for a long moment, tilted her head down, and stroked her forehead in contemplation. She then glanced from side to side, as if to see if dad was around.

She looked at him over the rim of her glasses. "Mitch. I need you to tell me something. What have you done with this girl?"

It was a completely unprecedented question from his mother. It was also kind of revolting. "Mom..."

"Mitch, honey, answer me. It's important."

"We just kissed, but what difference does it make?"

His mother was visibly relieved, putting her face in her hands in a release of tension.

"Listen to me very carefully. You CANNOT date her."

"What am I, twelve? Are you forbidding me to go out with her?"

"You have to trust me."

"I'm a grown man, mom. I don't know what you know about her, but no matter how bad she is, let me find that out for myself."

Liz wore a defeated expression. "OK." She looked around the condo again. "This isn't a good conversation to have over the phone, but we may have a 'Luke and Leia' situation here."

Mitch was well versed enough in Star Wars to immediately get the reference, but it would take another moment before its full implications sank in.

-X-X-X-

He'd made a good enough impression that it wasn't hard to get a lunch date with Liddy. He wouldn't pursue a relationship, of course, but he had to use this connection to his biological father. He'd always thought his father was Brent Lillebridge, and for all practical purposes, he still was. But his parents had lied to him about that; they'd met after he was conceived. And not even his father - adopted father - knew who his biological dad was.

He was almost completely truthful with Liddy. That he thought they might be related on the Donaghy side of the family, and that he'd like to meet her father. Obviously, there could be no further dating. She was a little skeptical this was some kind of scam, but when he dropped the name "Liz Lemon", she recognized it instantly.

"Are you sure we're related? Because I remember my Dad mentioning her as a friend and mentee, but not as a cousin or anything."

Mitch was heeding his mother's insistence that he not spill the beans. In fact, she'd told him not to do anything at all. Not even Jack knew, she said, and contacting him could wreck Liddy's family. He'd decided to ignore that instruction, but wasn't going to create any more collateral damage than necessary.

"I don't know. It's what my mom said. Can you take me over there to meet him sometime soon?"

Liddy's fingers absentmindedlly played with her long, blonde locks. "This really isn't how I was expecting tonight to go, but... I think my dad's flying out for something tomorrow. He should be home tonight... but my mom is probably going to be at the studio till pretty late."

Mitch smiled. That would be perfect. "Tonight would be great."

"Yeah, but I have this thing tonight. I can take you over there at least, and find out if we're related. This is kind of a weird situation." In truth, Liddy was reluctant to just send over a virtual stranger to her elderly, wealthy dad's house.

-X-X-X-

"Liddy, this is a pleasant surprise!"

"Daddy!" Liddy embraced and kissed her father.

"Who's your friend?"

"Mitch Lillebridge, sir." He offered his hand.

Jack paused for a moment as the name clicked. A moment of doubt crossed Mitch's face as Jack just stood there, till the older man took his hand. The boy had solid handshakefulness. Good.

"Dad, Mitch says that we might be related. Is that true?"

Jack recalled the moment two decades ago. Lemon telling him it wasn't his, his sense that it wasn't the truth. It all perhaps being confirmed now, after all this time.

He tried to calculate the angles. Jack certainly couldn't just claim paternity right now. He wasn't sure what Mitch knew, and he certainly wasn't prepared to explode Liddy's world quite yet. On the other hand, it didn't take a genius to figure out how Mitch and Liddy might have met each other. Best to stamp that out.

"Yes. Related. Distantly."

Jack thought he detected a puzzled look on Mitch's brow. It was almost - dare he say it - a badger face.

"Anyway, Dad, I have a thing to go to tonight. Is it alright if I leave you two here?"

"Going so soon?"

"Yeah, I just wanted to introduce you two." She planted a kiss on his cheek. Jack's eyes followed the light of his life as she left the house.

-X-X-X-

"Can I offer you something to drink?"

"What are you having?"

"Scotch."

Mitch looked sort of uncertain.

"If you want one too, it's alright."

"Oh. Alright then, scotch."

He quietly poured the drinks, and handed one to Mitch. He eyed it and took a sip. He wasn't really prepared for the taste and let out a small cough. Jack permitted himself a smile.

"What brings you to New York, Mitch?"

"I'm starting at NYU this fall."

"Do you know what you're going to study there?"

"Film."

Jack gave a knowing nod.

Mitch opened. "So how distantly related are we?"

_Well played, Lillebridge_, thought Jack. _Force me to lay my cards on the table right away_.

"What did your mother tell you?"

"That you were very close."

"Yes. Very close. For five or six years, my dearest friend in the world."

"What happened?"

"She moved to Vancouver. And we... drifted apart."

"Forgive me, sir..."

"Please. Jack."

"...Jack. But 'dearest friend' doesn't make us related."

Jack looked into his glass. "For a short while, we were more than that."

Jack glanced back up at Mitch. There was pain and longing and regret in the older man's eyes, as he regarded what he was now doubly sure was his own echo. Mitch couldn't have known the truth, how Jack thought about Lemon and Mitch every day. Wondered what his life could have been like if he'd seized the chance in all the years he'd had.

The charade was over.

"Dad?" Mitch was tearing up a bit.

"Son."

They embraced, and the emotions flowed freely.

-X-X-X-

Liz hated flying commercial. In the first few years of her marriage, she'd gotten used to private jets. But then carbon taxes escalated their price, until private aviation was priced out of range for the merely super-wealthy and reserved for plutocrats only.

But once upon a time, she was happy riding even the lowly intercity bus on trips. And for a trip this urgent, First Class would have to do.

Mother's intuition told her Mitch wouldn't listen to her warnings. It was somewhat ridiculous to cross the continent like this - it wasn't as if she could physically prevent him from finding Jack for the rest of his life - but maybe a surprise, in-person visit could talk some sense into the boy.

Before she left, she'd confessed her secret to Brent. He'd been remarkably understanding about what was, after all, a minor breach of trust. She'd initally claimed Mitch was the result of artifiical insemination because she wasn't sure that Jack would be out of her life forever, and didn't want to complicate that relationship any further. In the event, Jack's attendance at the wedding was more closure than new opening, and they went back to living their separate lives. They'd never had to make an effort to see each other when they worked together, and now they found they didn't know how to maintain whatever they had had over long distance. But thankfully, the exact paternity of a child conceived before Liz and Brent met wasn't of great importance to him.

Taking the cab from Newark, Liz tried to locate Mitch. He wasn't answering his phone implant. But luckily, these new devices allowed parents to track their children. Mitch hadn't bothered to turn that feature off when he turned 18, and she could now see that he was on the Upper East Side.

Blerg.

-X-X-X-

Liz didn't have much trouble finding Jack's place. Incredibly, it was still the same doorman from all those years ago, who let her in on sight.

She had no idea what she was going to say, as she stormed in to find her son and Jack sitting opposite each other in leather seats, each nursing a glass of scotch and in the midst of laughing heartedly about something.

Jack was facing the doorway, and upon hearing the footsteps he looked up, and his face froze. Time had faded her mental image of Jack, but now she saw the unmistakeable resemblance to her son's features. He looked good for 72, although Jack seemed to be observing the (for Liz) unfathomable new fashion for elderly men to grow their hair long.

The stare stopped her in her tracks. She opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. Jack stood up, took a few steps toward her, and also froze. For what seemed like an hour, they took each other in in silence, Jack's lips gradually forming a smile, his eyes moistening. Liz's thin lips tightened, as if she were resisting the urge to cry.

"Mom! What are you doing here?" Mitch got up to say hello.

"Hi, Mitch." Liz didn't take her eyes off Jack.

"If you came here to stop me, you're too late."

"I know."

Liz looked beautiful for 60. Unlike Avery, she wasn't professionally obligated to keep herself in any kind of shape, but whatever it was in her metabolism that had kept her thin while consuming meatball subs daily (with little or no exercise) was still working. A lifetime spent inside hunched over scripts had kept her out of the sun and her skin youthful. God help her, she was still a solid 8. Or at least she was to Jack's eyes. He sensed the feelings come back, as if they'd parted a week ago. Lord knows, he'd probably thought about her every day since then. Not seven, but seven thousand days.

"Lemon." Someone had to say something.

They closed the distance and embraced, each closing their eyes tightly as they contemplated the lost time, the lives spent apart.

-X-X-X-

Sitting down, the threesome shared an awkward silence. No one knew what to say in the enormity of the moment. Then, there were superficial questions about Avery and Brent, which didn't break the tension at all.

Mitch finally started by asking questions about them. Without getting too graphic, Jack and Liz shared their story. It was mainly a story of mentorship and inbred Austrian princes and emergency contacts and Mexican cheese curls and a real-life Mamma Mia and aborted talk shows and accidental marriage. As the story went on, Mitch could see his parents - his biological parents, that is - slip into a rapport. He began to understand this couple, he thought, and started to wonder what his life would have been like under different circumstances.

After a lull in the conversation, Liz felt compelled to add something. "Mitch, know that I love your father, and I don't regret marrying him." It was true; as she saw it, Jack was her Buzz Aldrin, the true love that never would have worked out in the end.

Mitch nodded, and noted an odd expression flash on Jack's face. He excused himself to go to the bathroom and get another drink.

"Sorry I never told you."

"I knew. You're not such a good liar, Lemon."

Liz had, over the years, convinced herself that her deception had worked. She was a bit surprised now. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"I understood why you didn't want me to know."

Liz nodded in comprehension, and looked down.

"You did a good job with him, Liz." He nudged his head in the direction of the kitchen.

"Thanks. He's a good kid. He has all your best qualities."

"And my faults?"

"Brent and I have beaten those out of him." She smiled.

Mitch came back in, without a drink. "You know, I have an 8:00 class tomorrow, so I should head back downtown." He stepped over and gave Jack a hug. "I'll be seeing you around, Dad."

"Bye, mom."

"I'll call you tomorrow morning, sweetie."

-X-X-X-

As the door shut, they uncomfortably stared into their drinks for a long minute.

"Do you ever wonder, Lemon?"

"Wonder?"

"About what it would have been like?"

"Let's not talk about this." She suddenly seemed very uncomfortable.

"Why not?"

"Because we made our decisions. They worked out in the end. Brent's been a wonderful husband and I'm sure you and Avery and Liddy are happy."

"You never gave me the _chance_ to make a decision."

"Yes I did."

"When?"

"Every day for six years."

"Yes, but when you were with child, that would've changed the calculation..."

Old resentments bubbled up. "_Please_, Jack. This is me. I've seen you try to make that kind of decision, pick between two things when you can't have both, and it isn't pretty."

Jack was silent for a moment. He probably deserved that, he conceded to himself.

"But with Brent? Was there ever the passion? The passion of…"

Her tone was abrupt. "Jack. Enough." She closed her eyes for a moment. "I don't regret my decision."

From there, the conversation shifted. They'd both followed each other surreptitiously in the press. He'd made a point of watching her films; she's tuned in to a number of the reality shows he'd developed over the years. They'd both pictured each other crafting their work, and it was interesting to compare the inside stories to their imaginations.

"By the way, Lemon, Mitch is going to have to cool it around Avery."

"I know. I've told him once, and I'll tell him again tomorrow."

"Want something to eat?" Jack got up to get some things from the kitchen.

"Of course."

-X-X-X-

When Jack came back into the living room, he found Liz peacefully asleep on the couch. She had the advantage of the time difference, but she was probably exhausted from the flight, and in any case she was still Liz Lemon.

Jack smiled to himself, threw a blanket over her, and turned out the light. He still remembered the last time she'd fallen asleep there, when he'd felt the tension with her building and a new opportunity appearing. And the last time she'd stayed over at all, the night before he flew to China to rescue Avery.

He planted a soft kiss on her forehead, and went to bed.

-X-X-X-

Avery usually didn't work quite this late, but they were planning a big special report tomorrow evening, and there were a lot of problems with it. Avery and her producer had spent several hours going over its problems with the correspondent, who would have to fix them in the morning.

She figured Jack was already asleep, so she eased quietly into their home. In the corner of her eye, she was aware of a mass on the couch. She tiptoed over to regard the cuteness of her husband passed out waiting for her, and had to stifle a yelp of surprise when it turned out not to be him at all, but a woman, a woman she hadn't seen, or really thought about, for years.

Perplexed, she retired for the night.

-X-X-X-

When Jack and Avery woke up in the morning, Liz was gone.

Avery kept waiting for Jack to bring up the previous night's encounter, but he never did. There had always been something oddly deceptive about these two: long ago, they'd told her it was a simple relationship of mentor to mentee, but even with Jack's "immersive" technique it seemed deeper than that. She was a dear friend to him, at least; why had they not simply said so? Avery wasn't the kind to be insecure and jealous, especially of someone like Liz, so she didn't understand what connected these two and why they'd sanitized it to protect it from her.

And things had changed when Avery got back from North Korea. She'd always chalked it up to her own trauma, and the way it changes someone. Jack was warm enough when they reunited, but also more guarded; she thought it was an unfair, but instinctive and understandable reaction to her "cheating" via forced marriage. But come to think of it, Liz had acted very strangely, too; she'd become almost a part of Jack's household when Avery was gone, and...

Oh.

Jack said they'd had a falling out, but he'd never explained what it was about. The two had never been able to stay separate for long, and before she put the thought away, Avery had difficulty imagining what magnitude of fight could create such a gulf. Maybe it wasn't a fight at all. Maybe her self-confidence had caused her to miss something, something that many others had assumed all along.

And it all, finally, fell into place for Avery. Some part of her thought it would be appropriate to be mad, but she really wasn't; it was all a long time ago, and she'd known what she was getting into with Jack back when they were dating. And she'd won in the end.

But she'd have to watch a bit Jack a bit more carefully, now that Liz was apparently, in some sense, back in the picture.

-X-X-X-

Liz and Jack got together for lunch one last time, at a random coffee place, before she left for the airport.

"Do your son's... _our son's _arrangements meet with your approval?"

"Yeah, he's not living like a pig, so that's something."

"If you thought his place was too messy, that would be saying something."

"You've never seen what my place looks like with a maid. My standards have improved."

"Fair enough."

There was an uncomfortable pause.

"How you are adjusting to having a son?"

"I'd always thought he might be mine, but now that it's almost out in the open I feel... happy."

Liz offers a subtle, gentle smile. "Is it going to be hard to sneak around to see him?"

"I don't think so. Avery works long hours, so I'm used to running around on my own."

Liz nodded. They looked at each other for another beat, and both started talking at the same time.

"Me first," Jack ordered.

"Do you remember what I said to you that last night in New York, just before you got in the cab?"

"I believe you propositioned me again."

"No, the other thing."

Liz nodded. "Yeah."

"I meant it. I still do."

"Me, too."

They both looked down for a moment.

"Well, Jack, it's about time I caught a cab, or I'll be stuck here another night." She stood to gather her luggage.

"It's not going to be another twenty years, is it Lemon?"

"No. I don't want to do that anymore."

"Good."

"I'll give you a call when I get home. Talk to you later."

She did give him a call. It became a habit.

_END._


End file.
